The present invention relates to transport and positioning of oilfield equipment and more specifically to delivering and retrieving from an operating drill-site, down-hole tools.
Measurement while drilling (MWD) involves evaluating the physical properties of the well environment in three-dimensional space while extending a wellbore. To obtain the necessary measurements, several down-hole tools are used by adding them to the drill string, and subsequently retrieving them for re-use at other drill sites. Examples of these down-hole tools include mud pulse tools and electromagnetic tools. Each of these devices are housed, at least in part, in cylindrical shapes, and in some instances, can be broken down to shorter segments for easier handling around the drill site.
These tools can be heavy and difficult to carry, particularly in the environment where the terrain is uneven, and occasionally slippery. In addition, since the tools need to be elevated to the operating floor of the drill platform, the tools need to be raised 25 feet or more above the surrounding terrain. This movement is facilitated by either carrying the tool, or tool parts, up flights of stairs, or by reliance on a crane to hoist the assembled tool string to the operating floor.
Mining in general, and drill sites in particular, are environments where injuries occur. In addition, staffing can be complicated if significant numbers of jobs require heavy lifting. Accordingly, it can be useful to alleviate these difficulties.